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*Today a bird flew into our house and back out again and it looked like a predatory bird - like some sort of small hawk or falcon. Are there any sort of birds like this in the US Virgin Islands? It was on the small side - mottled brown and black feathers with a small, sharp curved beak and white around the eyes.
THanks for any information you can give me.
Danielle Tervo
You need to pick up a book on the birds of the VI's! Where do you live to begin with? I'm a birder and there's no way to compare birds unless you know what geographical areas you are comparing. I've seen lots of birds on my VI trips but didn't personally see any that reminded me of New England hawks and falcons. Try looking at a Peterson's guide and see if you see a bird that fits the description of behavior and appearance- the look at a VI bird book to see what is there.
Hello Danielle,
We do have some small hawks and falcons in the VI. Pulled out one of my VI fauna books...
The Peregrine Falcon is federally endangered & uncommon. It has a mask like pattern on its head and is usually black, brown with a cream or light underside.
The Chicken Hawk (or rather Red-tailed hawk) is common. You can usually see them soaring in a circular pattern... looking for dinner. 😉
And there is the American Kestrel (a small falcon).
The other bird of prey I see listed is the Osprey, it has a white head, dark body and a black streak running behind the eyes. Stays mostly around water. Says its found in small numbers nesting on St. Croix.
Do a yahoo search for the bird names mentioned and see if you can find pictures of each one, see if you find a match.
--Islander
